This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Various amusement rides have been created to provide passengers with unique motion and visual experiences. For example, theme rides can be implemented with single-passenger or multi-passenger ride vehicles that travel along a fixed or variable path. Ride vehicles themselves may include features providing passengers with varying levels of control (e.g., various buttons and knobs) over the ride vehicle and/or surrounding environment. However, traditional controls given to passengers of a ride vehicle are generally limited when the ride vehicle follows a pre-determined, fixed path. Accordingly, it is now recognized that there is a need for an improved amusement ride that provides enhanced passenger control over the ride vehicle to create a more adventurous ride experience.
For certain amusement park rides, vehicle movements are constrained to programmed profiles (e.g., animations) that are embedded in a programmable logic controller (PLC) of the vehicle. However, it is presently recognized that these programmed profiles are substantially static and, as such, are not updated or modified based on passenger interactions with the vehicle and/or based on realistic physics models. As a result, a passenger of the ride may feel like the ride is staged or unrealistic, which may limit passenger engagement and amusement. Additionally, it is also recognized that PLCs are not capable of performing extensive calculations, such as those used in complex physics models. That is, while PLCs are adept at quickly responding to a parameter change to a value that is beyond a predetermined threshold, PLC processors typically have a lower clock speed (e.g., 200 Hz) compared to other types of processors, such as central processing units (CPUs) and graphical processing units (GPUs) of modern computers. Furthermore, PLC programming and debugging can be difficult, tedious, and expensive. Accordingly, it is now recognized that, when a ride is designed using PLCs alone to determine and generate a passenger's experience, this can severely limit the ride's ability to immerse a passenger in an experience that feels true to a realistic physics model.